Volunteers rally to cleanup Lost N Found’s big home for gay youth

Lost N Found's big new home for gay Atlanta's homeless youth took another step to becoming a reality on Saturday as scores of volunteers helped cleanup the Midtown building.

More than 150 people took part in the cleanup, spending a frigid Saturday morning purging the lot, emptying the three-story structure of mounds of trash and scrapping walls. The cleanup helped prepare the 7,000-square-foot structure for an expected $400,000 renovation that will unfold in the coming months.

A second cleanup is planned for Jan. 25. The project is Lost N Found's second large project to unfold in recent months. In November, the group opened a 13,000-square-foot thrift store off Cheshire Bridge Road to raise funds to support the group's mission. A grand opening party is set for Feb. 1.

On Saturday, the response to the cleanup overwhelmed the group's executive director and founder, Rick Westbrook.

Just a quick note to say how overwhelmed I was by the response today. To see so many members of the community, gay and straight, come out and work together for the betterment of our youth is truly inspiring. It's just reaffirms what the board and I already know, we are on the right track and we WILL care of our youth.

To all those that were able to make it out today, on behalf of both myself and the board – a heartfelt thank you.

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